Bird Hunting in South Africa - Shotgun Safaris
South Africa has more than 50 species of birds, 20 of which are considered fair game, making a trip to South Africa a new and challenging destination for wingshooters. While doves and pigeons are plentiful, you can expect wigeon, francolin and quail in good quantities as well. Your professional hunter will guide you on well managed fields with experienced dogs and an attentive staff for an incomparable wingshooting safari.
Waterfowl hunters also have a wide variety of ducks and geese to hunt. With generous bag limits of 10 to 20 fowl, South Africa is a waterfowlers haven.
Diversity of Bird Species Keeps you on your toes
Africa is a long way from the US. No matter how you do it, it takes a long time to get there. If you are a wingshooter, it is worth the travel. Long known for big game hunting, Africa is also an incredible opportunity for the wingshooter.
South Africa, by far the more developed part of Africa, thanks to the gold mining era, has the best infrastructure I have found for quality wingshooting opportunities.
“Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Our PH shows up at 8:00 AM sharp along with a truck load of bird boys to help with the day. We load our gear and guns in the back of the truck and climb inside the cab for our first trip to wherever the PH thinks the most birds of whatever species he thinks is best can be found. Some mornings we hunt doves, others pigeons or drive for guinea fowl or francolin. From place to place we see wildebeest, springbok, giraffes, impala, hartebeest, and other of the many species of plains’ game that thrive here.
Rock pigeons are the hardest birds I have ever shot. They can turn on a dime, pick up speed and dive, while turning right or left simultaneously. They are maddening. They are great.
The evening ducks and geese are even more exciting as you see them from a long way off coming toward you from a distant lake. Now is the time to stay still and keep hidden. The geese are big birds, primarily Egyptian geese, but occasionally some Spur Wing geese, with 6 foot wingspans, will come through and to shoot one of those is a trophy in and of itself. Sometimes we are hidden in standing corn fields simply pass shooting. Sometimes our bird boys have dug us pit blinds in a plowed field and we wait covered up with burlap sacks that blend in amazingly well with the rich African soil. Pass shooting or decoying. It is all grand stuff.
Time stands still for the week or more that you are there. The birds are plentiful, the limits liberal, and the whole experience will last a life time…or until the next time you decide you must go wingshooting in South Africa.
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